Couple things...

Hey, just a couple of reminders:

FOR STUDENTS THAT WERE ABSENT THIS WEEK, WE DO NOT HAVE FORMAL CLASS MEETINGS ON APRIL 5TH AND 7TH, YOU WILL MEET WITH YOUR GROUPS AT A DESIGNATED TIME AND PLACE!! WE WILL RETURN TO CLASS ON APRIL 12TH!!!

1. You may email next week! (Please do not email me for addresses of group members) All other inquiries are welcome!!

2. You need to meet AT LEAST once next week in person!! Although you may use the chat function in Blackboard or other chatrooms, you must meet this week in PERSON!!

3. I am liable for you if you are in the classroom, therefore YOU CANNOT MEET IN THE CLASSROOM!! You can use the library, lounges, or computer labs!!

4. I am going to post the study guides for chapters 8-10! You may use the concepts for your Projects!!

Chapter 8

Communication- Culture (205- 209)

Doing Identity (geographical/ ethnicity)
– Communication creates community and culture
– Culture is viewed from the perspective of others (“their culture”)
– Ethnocentric bias: our culture is superior to all others

– Cross cultural communication (structurally/ geographically based)
– Intercultural communication (cultural interactions and barriers)

– Transacting Culture (society- coded system of meaning: beliefs, heritage etc...)

What are some features of your culture? What defines your culture? How do you learn that? (205- 209)

*Structure Based Cultural Characteristics (210-217)
– Context (high context society- meanings are complex and dependent on many variables:
history, family, relationships etc. / low context society- message itself means everything)
– Collectivism: stresses the group/ Individualistic: individual centered.
– Time (monochronic- straight line, polychronic- simultaneous use of time)
– Conflict (as opportunity- normal, negotiable, confrontational, necessary) (ad destructive- disturbing the peace, members should adapt, ineffective, disciplinary)

What are the characteristics of American society? Mexico? China? England? (210- 217)

*Membership (217- 225)
– Identifying (race, geography, environment) not limited to these!!
– Inherent belonging by location, heritage, rules) co- cultures: cultures within larger cultures
– Imbedded behavior (accent, manners etc.) speech communities: culture varies over time, how do we show our culture
– Culture talk (cultural persuadables: topics that are unnecessary to explain due to common and shared understanding)
– Codes (restricted: taken for granted assumptions, elaborated: language to differentiate meanings and individuality)

What are the factors that show you are a member of your culture? How do these factors differ depending on whether we are in our culture or outside of it? (217- 225)


Chapter 9


Communication- Technology

-Relational technologies: “new media” (internet, ipods etc)
– Research focuses on apprehension, benefits, usage

*Relational tech and Identity (236)
– group based
– purpose driven
– social status determinant
– cultural attributes

What do you think relational tech. says about people? (236- 245)

*Technological influences:
-Media generations (technological eras)
-Social networks ( technological tools that bind such networks )
-Online identity (email addresses, screen names)
-Content creation (developing and sharing work online such as blogs, websites, etc.)
-Social networking (myspace, facebook, etc.) establish and maintain relationships via
self disclosure. Social worth determined by no. of “friends”.

How do social networks contribute to a self- concept? How are they socially constructed? (236- 245)


*Personal Relationships and relational tech. (246-248)
-cell phones
-constant connection
-controlling access (boundaries)
-availability
-shared experience (actual use, virtual shared experience)
-social coordination (microcoordination)
– social networks (supplements, changes, alters relationships)

How have cell phones changed over time in function, design, and interpersonally? (246- 248)

*Online Communication: (249-251)
-richness (degree of communication VC and NVC...type to face to face)
-emoticons (text based symbols to express emotions)
-asynchronous comm ( slight or prolonged delay) moving closer to synchronous comm (real time interaction -face to face, send and receive messages at once)
-quality ( like face to face except in quality)

How do you see technology resolving the issue of quality in face to face vs. virtual relationships??(249-251)

Media equation: media equals life (255- 256)
– media simulates actual life
– politeness ( positive feedback)
– flattery ( computers offer praise)
– personality (my computer is an extension of my identity)
– Limit: we are limited by our intelligence

Do you agree with the media equation? Why or why not? (255- 256)


Chapter 10

Communication- Mass Media (267- 268)

-Media (influential force directed at different publics for different purposes in different forms.
-mini com (specific audience connected by a common bond)
-Individual experiences ( you create unique viewing experience through navigation and
preferences.

How do you personalize your media experiences? (267- 268)

*Active Media Usage ( 267-271)
-selection, interpretation, and assigning meaning
-select and attend to media that supports our beliefs and views and avoid counter media
-attention fluctuates (multitask, involvement, need for data)
-Media: polysemy (interpretations vary according to factors) cultural background, knowledge,
experience, context, situation)

Do you agree that we use these methods to decode the media, how is the media encoding?? (267- 271)

Relational Uses/ Functions of Mass Media (272- 279)
-enable interactions
-enjoying media together
-Withdrawing from social interactions
-Differentiating relationships by media interactions (play video games with siblings, Skype with
mom, watch the game with dad)

*-Enacting and evaluating roles ( media reflects life)
-Relationships (media show us what relationships should be through demonstration- look like
and how to act)
-Socialization impact (supplements direct interaction, acts as a guide to “how to be”)
-Media acts as an alternative to personal relationships ( alternative because they are just as
fulfilling)
-Companionship and relational satisfaction (prefer media to actual personal interactions)
-Companionship and relational satisfaction from parasocial relationships (relationships
with characters and media driven personalities.)

Who are most likely to develop these relationships?? Why? What are the benefits and downfalls? (272- 279)


*Everyday uses: (280- 285)
-general topic of discussion
-discussion elicits emotional responses and attitudes
-discussion helps the flow of comm..ritual extension of the message
-discussion about media promotes media literacy (becomes knowledge and embedded in
our nature)
-discussion influences identification and relationship development (promote shared media
experiences-similarities/ differences)
-discussion enables identity construction ( media profiles- your preferences and general media
usage)

Discussion about the media furthers its influence. How about on a personal level? (280- 285)